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Ray Castellano

Pen name · Home, Auto & Money

Ray Castellano is the pen name our editorial team uses for articles on homeownership, car costs, debt and taxes. That means insurance renewals and claims, escrow and mortgage insurance, car loans and dealer add-ons, credit card math and IRS notices. Every article is edited by a human editor on the Moneystretching team, who checks its figures, dates and rules against the sources before it is published. Those sources are primary wherever possible, such as the CFPB, the FTC, the IRS, state insurance departments and published rate data, and each article links them in the text and lists them at the end. Articles published under this name never recommend specific lenders or insurers, and we do not sell financial products.

Covers
Home and auto insurance, escrow and mortgages, car loans, debt, credit and taxes
Edited by
The Moneystretching editorial team. A human editor checks every figure, date and rule against the sources before an article is published. How we check articles
Sources
Primary sources such as the CFPB, the FTC, the IRS and state insurance departments, plus published rate data. Each article links its sources.

45 articles · Contact: ray@moneystretching.com · Editorial policy

Stories by Ray Castellano

A red mailbox on a post in a green field under a blue sky, with a sticky note reading “Still no title?”. Debt & Credit Your car loan is paid off. The title still hasn't come An older man with white hair seen from behind at the wheel of a car, with a sticky note reading “Still driving?”. Insurance Your dad shouldn't be driving. What his insurance and the law say A small wooden house model next to a magnifying glass on a pale blue background, with a sticky note reading “Who owns it?”. Debt & Credit Your house is paid off. Check who the county says owns it A red-brick ranch house with white shutters behind a wide green lawn, with a sticky note reading “Over $250,000?”. Taxes Your home's gain may top the $250,000 exclusion. Check your basis first A white condo building with rows of balconies under a gray sky, with a sticky note reading “$40,000?”. Home & Mortgage Your condo board sent a special assessment. Check these records first A flooded street lined with raised beach houses after a storm tide, with a sticky note reading “18% a year?”. Insurance Your flood premium can rise 18% a year. See where it stops A black vintage alarm clock on a white background, with a sticky note reading “10-year clock?”. Retirement Your parent's IRA came with a 10-year clock, and yearly withdrawals A tow truck hooked to an old rusty car in the snow, with a sticky note reading “Repo notice?”. Debt & Credit Your car was repossessed. What the lender can still collect An old orange pickup truck with its hood up, parked on grass, with a sticky note reading “Fix or replace?”. Debt & Credit Your repair quote vs. a car payment. Run this math first A padlock and a folded dollar bill on a keyboard, with a sticky note reading “Can they take it?”. Debt & Credit A collector can't take your Social Security. The IRS sometimes can